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This story originally appeared in the Jackson Free Press. It was added to the Mississippi Free Press website in 2025.
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As the first day of the felony gun trial of Frank Melton draws to a close, the following witness list has emerged from both sides:

Prosecution
Nicole Bowman, Mississippi College School of Law director of communications
Lauren Brooks, Office of Continuing Legal Education at MC School of Law administrative assistant
Robert Davis, Office of Law Enforcement Standards and Training director
Donna Ladd, Jackson Free Press editor-in-chief
Stephen Stamboulieh, Mississippi College School of Law student

Defense
Sgt. William Gladney, JPDโ€™s vice and narcotics unit
Joe Jackson, Mississippi Law Enforcement Training Academy director (former FBI agent who resigned to work as No. 2 man to Frank Melton at WLBT)
Dan Modisett, WLBT-Channel 3 station manager
Det. Michael Recio, JPD officer and Melton bodyguard, under indictment in Ridgeway Street incident
Willie Watkins, former Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics agent

*Note: Other potential witnesses have received subpoenas and may be added to this list.

Previous Comments

Prosecution witnesses: Three people who are actually from Mississippi College (which means they may have been eyewitnesses), one journalist, one expert on law enforcement standards. Defense witnesses: Four people who either are or once were employed by Frank Melton. That doesn’t really bode well for our mayor. Cheers, TH


Where’s all the other star witnesses for the defense? How in the heck did Joe Jackson become head of the MLTA?


Typo: Michael Recio is a JPD officer, not a JFP officer… ;o) Cheers, TH


WAPT said the AG is only going to call a couple of witnesses and that the defense may call upwards of 7 to 8.

MFP Solutions Lab logo

The Mississippi Free Press produced this story through the MFP Solutions Lab, supported by the Solutions Journalism Network. This series digs into Mississippiโ€™s systemic issues and sheds light on responses to them in other communities. Beyond just reporting on problems, these stories interrogate their causes and inspect potential solutions.

Mississippi native Donna Ladd and partner Todd Stauffer founded the Jackson Free Press in 2002 in the capital city. The heavily awarded local newspaper did many investigations heralded across the state and nation and served as a paper of record due to its diversity, inclusion, in-depth reporting and deep connection to readers and dedication to narrative change in and about Mississippi. In 2022, the nonprofit Mississippi Free Press, founded by Ladd and JFP Associate Publisher Kimberly Griffin in 2020, purchased the journalism assets and archives of the Jackson Free Press. A Google grant through AAN Publishers enabled Newspack's integration of the JFP archives into the Mississippi Free Press website to become part of a more searchable archive of recent Mississippi history and essential journalism.